Batting

Hunter's Four Hits, O'Neill's Four RBIs Power Bulldogs' Offensive Outburst

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — The Yale University baseball team scored nine runs in the first two innings and cruised to a 15-5 win over in-state rival UConn Wednesday afternoon at Yale Field.

It is the third straight win and fourth in the last five games for Yale, which improved to 5-15 overall in the final game prior to a pair of key Ivy League showdowns this weekend against Columbia (Saturday) and Penn (Sunday) at Yale Field. UConn dropped to 16-11 overall after losing for the fourth time in its last six games.

Yale scored four runs in the first inning and five more in the second, sending nine batters up in the first and 10 in the second inning. Freshman shortstop Tom O'Neill keyed the two rallies with a two-run single in both innings. He finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs.

The nine-run outburst proved to be more than enough for the seven Yale pitchers who saw action in the game.

UConn picked up a run in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Bobby Melley, but Yale came right back with five more runs in the bottom of the fifth after a bases-loaded walk by Brent Lawson, a two-run single by Green Campbell and an RBI triple by Joe Lubanski. The five-run fifth gave the Bulldogs a 14-1 lead, which was more than enough to secure their fourth win in five games.

Bryan Daniello belted a grand slam with two outs in the top of the sixth inning to pull the Huskies within 14-5, but that proved to be the Huskies' final scoring chance of the game.

Yale closed out the scoring in the eighth on an RBI double by Jacob Hunter, which gave the Bulldogs a 15-5 lead.

Yale outhit UConn 18-8. The two teams combined to use 15 pitchers.

Hunter went 4-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored to lead Yale. Senior Josh Scharff went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks. Campbell went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Sophomore Eric Hsieh went 2-for-5 with three runs scored, while senior captain Chris Piwinski went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Melley went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Huskies. L.J. Mazzilli went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Yale will host Columbia on Saturday and Penn on Sunday. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Yale Field.